"Today's Devotion" For August 31, 2005
Read: I Thessalonians 4:1-12; Romans 12:9-21
LIVING AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Rom.12:18)
There is a classic poem titled, "Desiderata." It's a poem that speaks to living a life of calm and control, at peace with one's fellow human beings, and effectively coping with the vagaries of life. It's a point of reference for many recovering alcoholics who often memorize "Desiderata" as a ready reminder to keep them "on the wagon." It's a particularly insightful, directive piece of literature pointing the reader to the steps necessary to live a tranquil and peaceable life in relationship to others.
If people have a choice, most of them would avoid conflict. When conflicts arise people, for the most part, are uncomfortable. Conflicts can be seen in interpersonal relationships, business relationships, political relationships, money relationships, foreign and domestic relationships, and any other situations where people are set at odds with each other. It's not too big of a stretch to state that if everyone had a choice, including you and me, the world would be a place without conflict, where peace and harmony is the rule rather than the exception. Yet, as reality creeps back into picture we have to admit that we are living in a less than peaceful world. With wars between nations, civil wars, the war on terrorism, genocidal practices, political and moral battles, arguments between neighbors we've got soldiers and Marines fighting and dying, lawsuits are clogging our courts, and bickering and fighting going on within marriages and families. Naming these challenges by no means exhausts the list. Lest we forget the greatest conflict, there's the ages old battle between God's Will and ours, between the Spirit of God and our sinful condition. In the end, the lack of peace in the lives of people can only truly be understood as we pay attention to the spiritual dimensions of life and living.
Many "religious" people over the centuries have understood this need for peaceful coexistence with others, even if they didn't know God, Himself. Yet, rather than coexist with others, many religions worked to separate themselves from others. Examples of such thinking and living are found in Eastern mysticism, particularly as found in Buddhism. Christians built monasteries, convents, and religious orders whose participants all sought to find lasting peace with God through separation from the world. The Quakers, Shakers, and Amish people all believe that they must separate themselves from the world in order live at peace with God and others. Their hope was to establish a calm and peace in their lives which could bring them closer to their concept of God. Sadly, often because many Christians have separated themselves from the world, their message of peace has been lost.
St. Paul urges us to live quiet lives, at peace with our neighbors. He doesn't advocate separating ourselves from others because we are ambassadors and disciples of Jesus Christ. We can only be such if we live with people, not apart from them. With all the disagreeable people running around our communities, this is a tall order, or so it seems. In reality, by faith in Christ, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, God has made us His own and has given us the commission to tell the world of His love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Jesus. We are called to be instruments of God's grace in this world. He has made us His own and given us a commission to tell all the world of His love and redemption for everyone in Jesus Christ. In Jesus we have the great honor to be instruments of God's peace in a troubled world. When we are at peace in Him, we can live lives that are peaceable and quiet. Our lives in that way become examples to others so that they might see Jesus in us. And no matter the troubles we see in this world, no one and nothing can take God's peace in Christ from us.
Prayer: Father, my world is often so frantic I don't have the time to think before I react. Peacefulness is frequently not high on my list of daily blessings, when I even feel I can take the time to count my blessings. Yet, when I concentrate on the peace You have given me in Christ, my life is more calm, I am more collected, and my actions toward others are more considerate. Help me to focus on Your peace with me so that I can live at peace with others in this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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-Pastor Boeck
Copyright @2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.
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2 comments:
You appear to be unaware of how Friends (aka,Quakers) engage the world in peacemaking activities, being separate from the world, but certainly not retreating from it. The Quakers have been described by some as practical mystics because of the moving into direct relationship with the divine and taking the consequences of that relationship into to world. I encourage you to check out the American Friends Service Committee (http://www.afsc.org/) web site for an example of my thesis.
Dear Brad,
Thank you for your comments. I hope you were blessed by God's Word and Spirit through this "Today's Devotion."
I'm not at all unaware of the work the Quakers have done and are doing. It wasn't and isn't my intention to give dissertation on what every Christian group or denomination is doing or specifically believes. I write only to encourage people in the Word and to lead them to consider the blessings God brings to people in the Savior of the world from Sin, Death, and Satan - Jesus Christ. God bless your day and your service to others in Jesus' name. (P.S.: Please note that others, such as the Salvation Army and The Seventh Day Adventist Church also carry out such activities and have a similar view - as do many Lutheran, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ, etc. - Each of them carries out Christ's mission as they understand it, including being at peace with everyone.)
Pastor Boeck
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